How long is forever?
by wearemonsters
Summary: Just a oneshot about two duelling buddies. Can there friendship last through the trials that follow? /needs rewriting


-1"Just by the lake?"  
"Sure! That way when you get hit by one of my spells, you'll have a soft landing," Alex said with a grin plastered across his face.

"Soft? Wet's more like it," Kyle replied sourly.

"Yeah - well, same difference."  
"And you think you'll actually _be _able to hit me, this time? Last time we duelled you managed to hit that sixth year…"

Alex's smile dropped a few notches, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Wasn't my fault. That guy was a jerk anyway, he didn't have to hex me…"

"Did that Ogre-Pox ever clear up?"  
"YES! It cleared up fine!" Alex said hotly, throwing his bag under the shade of a large oak tree, it's branches stretching over the lake.

"At least the stuff that was visible," Kyle muttered in a stage whisper, winking at Alex, before he too threw his stuff by his friend's.

"You ready for this, Kyle?" Alex asked quickly, ignoring the boy's comment, although, he had turned a faint pink.

"Always, Ogre-Pox boy."

Both boys withdrew their wands and faced each other with wry grins.

-

Spells and curses flew through the air like lightning, bouncing of graves, shattering great stone Angels, igniting dead flowers, destroying headstones. Wands waving in a constant dance of defence and offence, spells shooting out of them faster than the eye could see.

"PROTEGO!"

The shield spell exploded in white light instantly as it subsumed to the weight of the spells that careened into it, filling the graveyard with a blindingly hot, white flash. Everything was white. And for a moment, the spells stopped.

Just for a moment.

"CRUCIO!"

The light was now replaced by screaming, a piercing shrill that rattled the bones beneath them, guarded by earth.

Wand pointed at the man writhing on the ground, the Deatheater advanced towards his victim, taking turns on alternate steps to wave his wand and mutter the Unforgivable curse again.

"Fool. You dare challenge us? You _dare _waste _his _time? You don't EXIST to him!"

This statement was followed by the wave of a wand and the forcing of 'Crucio!' through gritted teeth.

-

"XSPELLIARMIS!"

Waving his wand dramatically, Alex wafted the non-existent spell at Kyle, who was watching with a bemused grin.

"Jeeze, Alex, could you suck anymore?" Kyle closed his eyes and shook his head mockingly. "You should at least try to lear-"  
"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"-WHOA!' Kyle cried out as a bolt of red light flew into his chest, forcing him back a few paces. His wand leapt out of his hand, but after fumbling with it, he managed to hang on to it.

"Nice one, Alex!"

The boy beamed at him. "I've been practicing."  
Kyle ran a hand through his ebony hair, messing it up roguishly, then pointed his wand at his companion. "Looks like this might actually be a challenge!"

"Looks like it."  
Both boys stood, staring at each other before they began to wave their wands.

"IMMOBULUS!"  
"IMPEDIMENTA!"

-

The curse had been lifted, the man on the floor was breathing heavily, inhaling great lungful of air, only to cough it up wretchedly.

"You're pathetic," The Deatheater looming over him spat out, his wand still trained on the gasping man perfectly. "Why do you even bother? You're _nothing._"

"B-B-B-eca..because I dare…"  
"Dare? Dare to defy us? Dare to doubt _his _will?!"  
The man on the floor, who was now laughing quietly more than coughing, "Because I dare to hope."  
The Deatheater regarded that statement curiously, before he began laughing uncontrollably. It was hollow, there was no mirth in his voice. "Foo-"

"REDUCTO!" The man on the floor cried out, the end of his wand igniting and firing the spell into the Deatheater's face, or rather the mask covering it.

Exploding backwards - narrowly missing a rather large headstone - Voldermort's minion fell onto the floor, clutching his mask less face. "You… You…"

The man on the floor pulled himself with some difficultly, staring down at the man with ebony hair. "You haven't changed," he said quietly.

"Neither have you, Alex."  
"I try my best."  
"You're still as weak as always! IMPEDIMENTA!"

A wave of force ripped through the air, throwing Alex back and away from Kyle. He hit the floor with a resounding _thud. _Stars flashed in front of his eyes, the world tipped and he clutched onto reality that threatened to abandon him.

-

"That was a good duel!"

"Yeah, it was."  
"I _sooooo _won," Alex said, grinning toothily.

"Only because I let you!"

"Pshaw. Yeah right."

Both boys were lying next to each other by the lake, sheens of mirrored sweat across their young faces. Kyle was breathing a little heavier, he was exhausted. But he wouldn't admit it.

"I'll get better," Alex said, suddenly. "I'll be as good as you one day."  
Kyle smiled, turning his head so he was staring at his friend. "That won't take long, you're almost there."  
"Really?" Alex asked, excitement ringing through his voice.

Laughing, Kyle nodded, turning back to the azure blue sky above them. He lived for days like these.

They sat like that for a while, before Kyle turned to Alex once again. "We should go inside. We have to be at Charms in 10 minutes."  
Alex nodded, then rose to his feet. Casting a weary look at Kyle, he held out his hand and pulled the boy up.

"Tired?"  
"No way!" Kyle said fiercely, winking.

Picking their bags up, they made their way away from the sparking lake, after a few minutes, Kyle slung his arm around Alex comfortably.

"Friends forever?" he asked ruefully.  
"Friends forever," Alex replied, messing up Kyle's hair as he did so.

They remained in silence for the rest of the journey.

-

Standing over Alex, Kyle felt a pang of… something. It wasn't guilt. Perhaps pity? He pitied that Alex had never found the dark side, never found the insatiable power that came with it. He pointed his wand at his former childhood friend's face. Alex could do nothing, his wand lay… somewhere in the graveyard. He was defenceless.

"It's time, Alex."  
"I know."  
"Time to die."  
"I know."

"AVADA KEDAVR-"

"Wait."  
Kyle stopped, mid-spell, watching Alex carefully. The man on the floor's eyes were filled with tears.

"Friends forever?"  
Kyle closed his eyes for a long time, an eternity it seemed. "Avada Kedavra," he whispered. There was a flash of green light, he could see it even through his eyelids. The great _whoosing _sound. A _BOOM! _that shook the floor beneath him.

When he opened his eyes, Alex was still staring at him. Inches away from where his head lay, a small crater marked where Kyle's spell had hit.

Wearily, Kyle gazed down at the shocked Alex - tears falling down his face - grabbed his arm, pulled him up, then pushed him away.

"Get out of here.'

"Kyle…"  
"JUST GO!"

Alex stared at him for what seemed like hours, before eventually, and ever-so-reluctantly, he turned and ran through the graveyard, swallowed by the darkness in seconds.

"Friends forever," Kyle found himself whispering, but he wasn't aware he had said it.


End file.
